You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

Welcome to Ultimate Subaru Message Board, my lurker friend!

Welcome to Ultimate Subaru Message Board, an unparalleled Subaru community full of the greatest Subaru gurus and modders on the planet! We offer technical information and discussion about all things Subaru, the best and most popular all wheel drive vehicles ever created.

We offer all this information for free to everyone, even lurkers like you! All we ask in return is that you sign up and give back some of what you get out - without our awesome registered users none of this would be possible! Plus, you get way more great stuff as a member! Lurk to lose, participate to WIN*!

Say hello and join the conversation

Subscribe to topics and forums to get automatic updates

Get your own profile and make new friends

Classifieds with all sorts of Subaru goodies

Photo hosting in our gallery

Meet other cool people with cool cars

Seriously, what are you waiting for? Make your life more fulfilling and join today! You and your Subaru won't regret it, we guarantee** it.

* The joy of participation and being generally awesome constitutes winning** Not an actual guarantee, but seriously, you probably won't regret it!

Saiduwhat! Two Catalytic Converters?

Still chasing smog issues on my 86' GL10 Wagon. Now beginning to suspect the cat. Is it true? Does this model actually have two cats, one in the front "Y" section of exhaust and another in the center section?

I have an 86 GL Wagon that was given to me with the stock cats taken out, and a piece of pipe connecting the Y. Then, just one big cat and mine passed california smog. Just my inputs. I wish I didn't have to pass smog though, cause I have New Mexico plates, but I have to pass to get on the military base. Also, prior to getting mine smogged, I retarded the timing a couple degrees, it made a difference. The shop told me to do this. My 86 has 212k on the original motor, and still keeps going and going...

the first one is an oxidizing catalyst; the second is a reducing catalyst. it is legal in all states except california to replace those two with a single unit designed for that purpose.

technically true yes. but the smog tech is not required to get under the car and verify that you have the two seperate cats during the inspection. so as long as you have one good 3 way cat you are probably fine. a smog ref. might actually check if you had to go there for anything.you are not really required to have a muffler either I have smoged mine with only the down pipe and cat in place. they just need a place to stick the probe (no not like that you sicko)

Iv'e got the two original cats on now with 180,000 miles on the vehicle. Yep! It failed as a gross polluter at 2500 RPM but passed at Idle. At 2500 RPM, Max allowable HC is 150, I was 181. Max allowable CO % is 2.7, I was 4.49

I dont know what you have on there right now but I got away with one replacement 3 way cat and a dummy front cat. it passed ok like that.